If you are a survivalist it is crucial you take a good course in identifying wild plants. Plants are everywhere and in the case of an emergency, you may have no choice but to stuff you forage yourself.
It is absolutely crucial for you to correctly identify plants before picking and eating them. That wild carrot you think you are picking might be its look a like cousin – poison hemlock.
Here are some basic tips about plant gathering.
- Watch out for plants growing near homes or roadsides as they may have been sprayed with pesticides or exhaust from automobiles.
- Do not collect plants growing in contaminated water as contracting Giardia lamblia and other parasites is a real danger. Boil and disinfect the plants thoroughly if you suspect this is a problem.
- Do not eat anything with fungus or mildew on it. Many wild plants develop dangerous fungal toxins.
- Plants that contain cyanide, such as wild chokecherry, tend to emanate a bit of an almond scent
- If you react very badly to poison ivy then avoid edible foods in the same family such as sumacs, mangoes and cashews
- If you are eating a very bitter root then boiling them in several changes of water may help get rid of it.
- Some wild roots, such as Indian turnip contain oxalates. This causes the food to burn your stomach or mouth. Baking the root for many hours can help get rid of this side effect.
- Stay away from plants with milky sap
- Avoid plants that are bulbs or have seeds inside pods or that look like beans
- Avoid plants with a soapy taste
- Fine hairs or thorns on the plant can mean it is poison
- If it has foliage like dill, carrot or parsnip it may be hemlock
- Do not eat a plant with a three leaved growth pattern
- Stay away from grain heads that are pink purple or have black spurs
Following the above tips can really help you avoid many negative side effects and possibly death. If you are not sure if a plant is poisonous, do not eat it at all.
Remember, eating large portions of plant food on an empty stomach may cause diarrheal, nausea, or cramps. Two good examples of this are such familiar foods as green apples and wild onions. Even after testing plant food and finding it safe, eat it in moderation.